Trauma-informedThe Trauma Toolkit - Second Edition, 2013

This toolkit aims to provide knowledge to service providers working with adults who have experienced or been affected by trauma. It will also help service providers and organizations to work from a trauma-informed perspective and develop trauma-informed relationships that cultivate safety, trust and compassion.

Traumatic events happen to all people at all ages and across all socio-economic strata in our society. These events can cause terror, intense fear, horror, helplessness and physical stress reactions. Sometimes the impact of these events does not simply go away when they are over. Instead, some traumatic events are profound experiences that can change the way children, adolescents and adults see themselves and the world. Sometimes the impact of the trauma is not felt until weeks, months or even years after the traumatic event.

Psychological trauma is a major public health issue affecting the health of people, families and communities across Canada. Trauma places an enormous burden on every health care and human service system. Trauma is not only a mental health issue, but it also belongs to every health sector, including primary/ physical, mental and spiritual health. Given the enormous influence that trauma has on health outcomes, it is important that every health care and human services provider has a basic understanding of trauma, can recognize the symptoms of trauma, and appreciates the role they play in supporting recovery. Health care, human services and, most importantly, the people who receive these services benefit from traumainformed approaches.

Trauma is so prevalent that service providers should naturally assume that many of the people to whom they provide services have, in some way or another, been affected by trauma. Although trauma is often the root cause behind many of the public health and social issues that challenge our society, service providers all too often fail to make the link between the trauma and the challenges and problems their clients, patients and residents, and even co-workers, present.

From the time the trauma occurs, people can experience the effects in all stages of their life and in their day to day activities - parenting, working, socializing, attending appointments - and interpersonal relationships. It should be noted that most people who experience traumatic events do not go on to develop symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. However, for many people, poor mental and physical health, depression and anxiety can become the greater challenge.

People who have experienced trauma are at risk of being re-traumatized in every social service and health care setting. The lack of knowledge and understanding about the impact of trauma can get in the way of services providing the most effective care and intervention. When retraumatization happens, the system has failed the individual who has experienced trauma, and this can leave them feeling misunderstood, unsupported and even blamed. It can also perpetuate a damaging cycle that prevents healing and growth. This can be prevented with basic knowledge and by considering trauma-informed language and practices.

Traumatic events happen to everyone; it is part of the human experience. Accidents, natural disasters, wars, family conflicts, sexual exploitation, child abuse and neglect, and harmful social conditions are inescapable. However, how a person responds to these circumstances is unique to that individual’s social history, genetic inheritance and protective factors that may be in the person’s life at the time.

This toolkit will explore these issues and identify how health care and social services can become trauma-informed, set policies, and encourage interactions with clients that facilitate healing and growth.